


The Chimes of Midnight Won't Stop Ringing

by itwasadarkandstormynight



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Audio: The Chimes of Midnight, Christmas, Gen, Mentions of Suicide, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Eighth Doctor, which isn't really important to the story but it's still a Thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 05:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15767256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itwasadarkandstormynight/pseuds/itwasadarkandstormynight
Summary: Edith had always loved Charley, ever since she was a little girl. But this Charley doesn’t seem to remember her...





	The Chimes of Midnight Won't Stop Ringing

**Author's Note:**

> This probably only makes sense if you've listened to the audio story. It's on Spotify, for free (though you do need an account to listen to it).
> 
> Trigger warning for mentions and descriptions of suicide (some details, nothing graphic).
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Big Finish nor its characters. The story, however, is mine.

She was but a simple scullery maid. She was nothing, she was nobody.

She wasn’t supposed to be here. She was dead, yet she was in the scullery. And then, Charley appeared. Edith was shocked; she shouldn’t be alive, here. because she wasn’t even born yet and because she’d die, in 1930. And Charley didn’t remember her at all.

Charley visited her, occasionally. But while she did seem to remember Edith, she only remembered her as the scullery maid who had died. Edith asked her, _begged_ her, to remember, but Charley didn’t understand. Of course she didn’t. Why would she? Edith was nothing and nobody, after all. She had no reason to be remembered by the only person who had ever been nice to her. Surely, everyone else would forget her; so Charley would, too.

She became angry. She’d killed herself because Charley had died, and now, Charley wasn’t dead anymore. Why had she died? She hadn’t needed to. And now she was making Edward Grove alive, and there was nothing she could do about it. She urged Charley to stop it, to put an end to it. She didn’t want to be stuck in whatever was going on. It was hell.

And still, Charley didn’t remember her. Edith should have known it; she was nothing, she was nobody. She had given her life for Charley, but Charley didn’t _remember_ , so why had she done it at all? It was pointless.

> She and Charley were making Edward Grove alive, and not even Charley seemed to be able to stop it.

Edith didn’t know much, but she knew she needed Charley. She needed her help, but Charley needed to remember first. Charley needed to _know_ who she was.

And she _did_. Edith was so happy. Charley remembered! The cook! The only person who had ever shown her kindness, the only one Edith died for; Charley remembered, and for a moment, that was all that mattered.

She had just one question: was she alive? Or was she dead? Charley couldn’t give Edith an answer.

Charley always smiled, at Edith. It made her so happy, like she mattered. Charley was the only friend she ever had. So when Charley died, Edith decided to die too. When Charley was alive, Edith didn’t understand. If Charley was alive, what had her sacrifice been for?

> Edward Grove was feeding off their lives. What could they do?

It had been November, when they’d found out Charley had died. Edith couldn’t cope, her only friend was dead. She slit her wrists, and died.

But now, Charley was still alive, and Edith didn’t know whether she was alive or dead. And what about Charley? Was she alive? Or dead? Didn’t they both deserve to know if they were alive or dead?

So why didn’t they know?

They must be dead, Edith decided. They had to put an end to this. They shouldn’t be pretending to be alive.

They had to use the knife.

The Doctor came. They stopped them. He made Charley choose life, made her remember _them_ too, and took her away from Edith.

Wait, no. That’s not right.

The Doctor didn’t take Charley away, because they didn’t leave her to die. They convinced Edith to choose life, too. She broke the paradox, and killed Edward Grove.

She was alive again, and Charley was alive too.

Edith was happy once more.

**Author's Note:**

> The Chimes of Midnight took me weeks to listen to, mostly because I had listened to the first part and then didn't get the chance to continue for a long time. I slightly fell in love with Edith.
> 
> Boy, am I glad the first 50 audio stories of the Big Finish: main range are on Spotify.
> 
> Leave kudos (and comments!) if you enjoyed this story!


End file.
